


Can You Hear Our People's Cry

by Ravenclaw_Peredhel



Series: Star Wars One Shots [4]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen, Order 66 (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:47:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29713230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenclaw_Peredhel/pseuds/Ravenclaw_Peredhel
Summary: In a single instant, the Force, which had been singing with triumph and hope, screamed.And it screamed and screamed, and you cannot tell when the Force's screams were drowned out by the cries of the Jedi.
Series: Star Wars One Shots [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2183691
Kudos: 5





	Can You Hear Our People's Cry

Before the war, everyone knew the instant a Jedi died. The Force would scream, and the Jedi would listen. 

Then the war began. The Jedi died far more often. 

The creche was shielded, the initiates taught to raise barriers against the barrage of the Force, and those who fought on the battlefield cut off their bonds. 

Communication was not worth going insane. 

Of course, no one had shields that could resist every Jedi in the galaxy dying at one.

**************

''Anakin? Thank the Force! The Hawkbat Clan's in the Council Room, can you get them out?" Anakin's eyes looked into the trusting, _relieved_ ones of one of the crechemasters. 

Crechemaster Jiya Kupu was only a few years older than him. She had been one of the Jedi who had been the kindest when he was a frightened traumatised Initiate. 

With a keen mind and a strong, agile body, everyone had assumed she would go into the Archives or the Knight Corps. Instead, she became a Crechemaster. 

The room she was guarding held ten tiny Force-sensitive babes and toddlers. Each one of which had to die, so that Padmé might live. 

"Anakin? Are you alright?" Her eyes looked worriedly into his own. "Are you hurt?"

With a swift, often-practised move, the still blue lightsaber thrust into her chest with surprising ease. The sudden movement jolted a little surprised cry from the crechemaster. 

Three more moves, and she would not be able to stop him. Two hands that were raised ever in comfort fell to the floor, two legs that ran after giggling toddlers following.

His footsteps as he made his way into the creche were heavy. 

Almost against his will, the blade rose, and fell. 

A tiny Twi'lek baby slept on, a sizzling hole through its heart. It would not wake soon. It would not wake ever. 

He made his way to the next crib. Behind him, Jiya, _his friend_ , screamed as she watched his systematic murder of the children she had taken under her wing, unable to do anything. The children he knew she loved as her own. She had commed him and Aayla every time another infant was added to the little brood she watched over, her eyes shining with love and delight. 

Anakin hated himself. These children, these tiny babies, were Kiya's, just as Padmé's unborn baby was his. Kiya was his friend, his comforter. They had spent hours together, talking and laughing and crying. 

But Padmé was more important.

He would kill everyone he had ever loved before he lost her. 

The last child was a Human - maybe two or three. He was awake, and Anakin looked into blue eyes and blonde hair. This child could have been him. 

This must be Luke. 

The little boy's head fell further than his body. 

Anakin stepped over his dying friend. 

She was important to him, but he could let her go for Padmé. 

He batted away her weakened probe, batted away the almost inaudible _why_.

For Padme.

This was all for Padme.

*********************

Commander Tome of the 214th Battalion was in the process of gunning down Seppie droids when his General's shiny stumbled and fell, her little hands flying to her head. 

The General hoisted her up, still deflecting the blaster bolts. "Commander?"

He finished snapping out orders to cover the gap in their defences and jogged over to her. "Yes General?"

The General winced and held a hand to her head, hissing. "Something...something is wrong. I...the Jedi...the Force is...disturbed..."

"Force osik then General?" 

She laughed harshly and nodded. "I suppose you could say that Commander. My Padawan...her shields are not yet up to a standard that allowed her to block such things out without aid. Take her back to the camp, and watch over her?" 

Tome shook his head. "After all this time General, and you think you have to ask? Give me the little shiny and I'll look after her for you."

"Thank you Commander." The General smiled and placed the child in his arms, brushing a hand over her forehead with a worried look. 

"You'll be safe with the Commander, Padawan. I'll come and help you sort out your shields as soon as possible." She re-ignited her lightsaber and charged back onto the front line. Tome shook his head, the General better not get herself hurt again.

The kid was far lighter than the last time. She was crying, holding her hands to her head. "Hey shiny, it'll be alright." He was no good with kids, but his words seemed to comfort the shiny. She clung to the plastoid armour, digging her sharp little claws into it with a viciousness that made him flinch. He would not like to be on the wrong end of those when she grew up. 

The medic's tent was already set up, and he gently set the still crying shiny onto one of the cots, where she curled up, clutching her head. 

His commlink rang. "Yes?"

"Execute Order 66"

He went blank. 

*************************

"Execute Order 66." 

"Yes my lord."

The commander shut off the comm. "What's Order 66? Does it mean the war is over?" Little Amniel piped up, her eyes curious. 

Jedi Knight Pavanus Nadies smiled sadly at his naive little Padawan. "I do not think the war is over Padawan. But I agree, what is Order 66 commander? I have never heard such a contingency."

The clone turned around, his usually merry eyes cold. "Good soldiers follow orders. Execute the traitors."

Amniel cocked her head, her horns tilting dangerously. Pavanus had to physically reach out and push her head upright again. "Traitors?"

A sudden cold feeling washed through him, along with a scream from the Force _run! run, hide, survive._

The click of a blaster cocking. "Good soldiers follow orders."

Pavanus turned to look behind him. "Comma-"

The bang of a blaster firing, and a shriek from his little Padawan. 

He whipped back around. "Amniel!" 

The commander had...shot her...

He flung himself forward as the blaster fired again, catching the bolt with his arm. "Commander! What in the galaxy?"

The merry eyes were cold and blank. The blaster fired again. 

Then one from behind. 

One from the side. Pavanus blocked as many as he could, but his lightsaber was still on the cot. 

Little Amniel shrieked. His unbelieving eyes saw blood leaking from a hole in her chest. It came from...it came from Scholar. Scholar who had spent hours looking after the little iktochi Padawan, who had been her best friend. Scholar who had shot her without a flicker of anything. 

"Master...Master...it hurts."

He curled himself over her as the blaster bolts rained down on them, holding his Padawan close. 

He thought that it was she who flickered out first, but by then he couldn't be sure.

*****************************

Elma Nesses and Tomoh Kap lay side by side on the floor. 

Seven years old, and bleeding out from blaster bolts. One in Elma's chest, one in Tomoh's stomach. 

They lay on the creche floor, the only ones still living of the Rancor Clan. 

"Elma...I'm scared."

"Me too...it hurts."

The two girls huddled together, shivering as the life drained slowly out of them. 

All alone, in a mass grave. 

**************************

Yoda opened his eyes as the Force screamed of danger in his ear. 

So many dead...so many murdered. 

He whirled in the air, beheading the troopers without a flicker of guilt. 

For he had seen the temple on fire, and he had seen his family die. 

The Jedi did not seek revenge. 

But they could seek justice. 

He did not feel any guilt as the heads crashed to the ground. 

Their brothers had killed his. 

it was balance. 


End file.
